Wolf Packs Stick Together
by Tala Kismet
Summary: Someone's spying on Kai before a tournament. There's a murder in the park and Kai and his watcher are both suspects. Along with one last potential killer, they're going to have to use their criminal pasts to bust the criminal present.
1. Who the hell are YOU?

Wolf Packs Stick Together

Don't own beyblade. Not sure of pairings yet, i'm probably gonna take reader votes.

CHAPTER ONE : WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

"Hn," Kai grunted as he caught his blue and red beyblade for the eighth time in a row.

The twelve cans he'd been using to practice fell from the sky and into a perfect pyramid right in the center of the clearing. A slight rustling in the grass warned the highly alert teen of another watcher. He stalked over to the cans and picked them up, depositing them in their former positions. The last one he kept in his hand, acting as if he were putting it back. He "wandered" over to the clump of bushes that were trembling suspiciously. All at once he leaned over, kicked the foliage, and grabbed the offender by the back of his T-shirt.

The intruder was none other than Tyson Granger, Kai's most annoying enemy. Actually, Kai tolerated him, but barely. Tyson was making choking noises as he was hauled bodily upwards by the much stronger fifteen year old. Kai gave him one of those I-am-so-going-to-kill-you looks, then dropped him in the dirt and finished replacing the cans. He clipped Dranzer onto the launcher and threaded the ripcord through. Kai leveled the launcher and had his hand on the cord when a voice rang out, shattering the silence.

"Nice trick you have there, dude," Tyson said to his Captain while whipping out his own launcher with Dragoon at the ready.

He pulled the cord hard and Dragoon sailed through the air. The beyblade hit the ground and began attacking the cans in an almost perfect replica of the pattern as Kai had been doing only minutes before. Each time the white beyblade hit its mark, a metallic CLINK could be heard. Crash after crash resounded in the silence, Tyson's grin fading with each one. He winced as the last can fell into the pile, and Kai leveled a death glare at the blue-haired teen.

"Guess I need a little more practice, eh, Kai?"

The glare was turned up another two notches to you're-going-to-wish-you- were-dead-when-I'm-done-with-you.

"I came to tell you that Kenny wants to see you," Tyson continued as if he hadn't noticed a thing change.

Then again, maybe he hadn't.

Kai raised his right eyebrow ever so slightly. He had absolutely no idea what the long-haired freak wanted, but if he wanted to give Dranzer another check up...

I will personally castrate him with a rusty spoon, Kai assured himself.

Quick as a flash, Kai launched Dranzer and knocked out Dragoon. The beyblade moved like a blue bolt of lightning, and it demolished the thin aluminum of the cans easily. In a few seconds, all that remained of the helpless items were twelve tops and a pool of melted aluminum. Without so much as looking back, Kai caught his blade and strode off into the growing darkness.

Tyson stood there in shock after seeing how effortlessly Dranzer had pulverized the metal. Then he realized how close he had come to being in place of those cans by spying-or at least attempting to spy-on his Captain rather than just walking up and having a one-sided conversation with him. Kai always was touchy about his privacy. Tyson came to realize that the only thing that saved him from Kai's wrath was the fact that he was on the same team as the older boy. Not a very comforting thought, as Kai was still staying at the dojo for lack of anywhere else to go.

* * *

Kai walked through the dark streets to Kenny's house. The restaurant lights were still on, which meant that there would still be customers inside. He sighed. Kai didn't like being near large crowds of people or having anyone get behind him. It just made him nervous, which was understandable, given that he had lived six years at the abbey. Gritting his teeth, he calmly strode inside and up the stairs to the computer whiz's bedroom. 

Kenny was typing away on his laptop, which was talking back to him. No high-tech interactive programs for this guy. No, he had a real live bitbeast trapped inside those sheets of silicon and plastic. The brown-haired boy didn't even notice Kai's arrival until Dizzy mentioned it to him. By this time Kai had been standing behind Kenny for five minutes, reading over his shoulder as the other boy sat cross-legged on the floor.

"I think Kai's here to see you," Dizzy commented.

Kenny whirled around and jumped up to face the Captain of the Bladebreakers. He began babbling that Kai should have said something and not scared the daylights out of him like that. Kai took a step backward to lean against the doorframe in a typical Kai-like manner. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes in silent warning. His aristocratic features twisted slightly into an expression of disgust. The slate-haired teen did not like excessive use of words.

Kenny shut up as soon as he saw that look.

"I wanted to give you a new weight disc for Dranzer," the long-haired boy said happily, "It should improve his speed and attacking strength greatly. Here, try it out."

Kenny held out a small, gray object to the fifteen year old. Kai accepted it and transferred it to his beyblade. He held Dranzer in his hand for a moment to feel the differences in its weight and balance. He grunted his thanks and stole out of the room, not wanting to demolish anything of the younger boys while testing out the new addition. Kenny scrambled to catch up, following Kai outside, where Dranzer was at the ready.

He grunted as he let his blade free on the street.

The scarlet and azure beyblade hit the ground and whirred on the asphalt of the street. It began executing several spins, turns, and dodged around potholes. Kenny frowned; this was exactly the same as Kai's normal control, showing that the slate-haired teen had yet to master the magnet disc.

Then, in what seemed like an eyeblink, Kai got the hang of the new addition to his blade. Dranzer gained a burst of speed and literally disappeared. Kenny's frown turned into a smirk of satisfaction. Kai's face creased in concentration. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Dranzer leapt into the air and seemed to teleport to another spot in the airspace five feet away. It zigzagged through the air faster than the eye could see. Kai turned to a nearby garbage can and pulled out a discarded water bottle. He tossed it into the air, where Dranzer was still dodging back and forth.

There was a flash of light and the whistle of wind slicing over a fast-moving object. The bottle came down, cleanly cut, in a hundred pieces. Kai smirked. Kenny raised a hard to see eyebrow. Kai was good, there was no doubt about that.

"So, do you like it, Kai?" Kenny asked the Captain of the Bladebreakers.

Kai didn't respond verbally, but he did lose the smirk and nod his head once. In reality, this was probably his favorite upgrade he'd ever gotten. Of course, he wasn't about to admit it. Dranzer shot back down from the heavens, a mere streak of sapphire lightning. Kai shot out his corresponding hand and snatched it out of the air, then pivoted on his right foot and left Kenny in silence.

Kenny, who hadn't expected a thank-you, just rolled his eyes and walked back into his house, yelling over his shoulder at the fast disappearing figure.

"Remember, Kai, we have practice tomorrow at the park!"

He wasn't graced with an answer. The bluenette just kept walking into the darkness. To where, one may ask. Well, where does Kai always go? To the park, of course. He needs to practice. After all, there was a tournament to win in three days time. And even if there wasn't, Kai would still be practicing anyway. It was just one of the things he did.

* * *

At The Park 

Kylvren was currently sitting in a tree. Well, more precisely, she was sitting in a tree in the park, at midnight. Watching the captain of the Bladebreakers train. Not that he knew she was there, of course, but all the same, she had a great vantage point to see what he could really do with his blade. Unlike many fangirls, Kylvren was not there to ogle at the oh-so-aloof-hot-and-all-famous Kai Hiwatari. She, too, would be competing in the upcoming tournament, and she _would_ win over any competitor.

Even him.

Ky stretched out on the branch a little more. She made sure the cap covering her hair was still fully on. Unlike most teens, Kylvren had hair as white as snow, and it wasn't dyed, either. Her eyes were pale crimson, with darker red pupils, and her pale skin was currently hidden under long clothing and soot.. She was albino, a very rare condition in humans. Because of her eyes' sensitivity to light, she'd always preferred night to day.

This, of course, led to several rumors that she was a vampire. Which she, naturally, laughed at.

Kylvren's eyes narrowed as Kai began attacking a small clump of bushes, shredding them into a neat, green box. He would be a worthy opponent in the stadium, as well as outside it. The barest hint of a smile crept onto her face. She thought about the coming battle, then snapped out of her daydreams when the sound of Kai's beyblade came to an abrupt halt.

He had caught his blade and was moving on to another bush somewhere else in the park. He went in the opposite direction as her branch was facing. Ky cursed herself for not being able to move without the slate-haired boy noticing. As he circled around, Kylvren lay perfectly still, careful not to twitch a muscle. When he was out of sight for two minutes or so, she slowly sat up and turned around to face the trunk.

Only to find her nose an inch away from that of Kai's. He was not looking overly benevolent at the moment. Their eyes locked, red on red, in a fearsome battle of wills. The glaring battle went on for a while, until Kai finally broke the silence with his monotonous voice, laced with anger.

She most definitely did not want to hear that tone of voice again. At least from someone as competently lethal as he was.

"Why were you spying on me?"

* * *

Hello. If you have anything you'd like me to fix, or you see anything wrong, feel free to tell me. Even if you think it sucks. I'll fix it, but it'll work better if you email me at tala(underscore)wolf hotmail. com. I do attempt todo quality work, not to mention i have eight classes. I'll be glad 2 talk to you or beta work. I've got MSN and AIM (silverjustice1) so talk to me ppl. 


	2. Who the hell are YOU? cont

PART TWO: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

She continued glaring, aware of the intensity of his gaze. Finally she opened her mouth toanswer. He waited expectantly.

"I wasn't."

Kai looked at her as if he'd absolutely love to kill her, or at least throw a punch or two. She smirked as the expression of frustration flashed across his face. He fought to control his emotions, succeeding at last. It was a hard fought battle though, and Kylvren didn't miss that little detail.

"I think we have a problem here," he said calmly.

"What problem would that be?" she asked perfectly innocently.

"I think you're lying to me."

The woman sighed. She turned her blank, blind-looking stare away for a moment, schooling the urge to say something rash. That would only lead to more trouble. Not that she didn't have enough to cope with already…There was no point in getting any deeper into this than she already was. That wasn't needed at the moment, and hopefully it wouldn't be required later.

"Dammit, you're right," she said as subserviently as possible, then added as an afterthought, "bastard."

The look Kai shot her was one that blatantly told her that what she'd said _was_ considered rash. Then again, she didn't particularly care. Why should _she_ care about anything the over-arrogant, self-centered idiot thought or did?

"I knew it!" he said triumphantly, "Now who the hell are you and what are you doing watching me?"

"Wouldn't you just love to know that…but I'm afraid you won't get to at the moment. Please understand that I have a good sense of self-preservation, and I wouldn't want to inadvertently make my life permanently end," she 'explained' oh-so-helpfully.

"As to why I'm spying," she continued, "That's obvious. Figure it out Mr. I Knew It. You certainly seem to think you're smart enough, so prove it. I would've thought the all-famous Kai Hiwatari would be more intelligent than that."

With those last words, she vaulted down out of the tree, landing almost silently in a crouched position on the ground. That fall looked as if it should have hurt, being a good eleven or twelve feet, but she showed no signs of pain or injury. She looked up and flashed a quick grin in the slate-haired boy's general direction and as she walked away she called softly over her shoulder just loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh, and by the way, the name's Ky."

* * *

Kai remained in the tree in a stunned silence. Normally he would have pursued her, but this was just too much for his brain to handle. His mind was in a state of shock, too tired to think properly and running in circles.

_I'm spied on by a girl I've neither seen nor heard of, who looks albino to top it off, and then I find out she has the same name as me? I don't even know how long she was there. Not to mention I have the feeling she isn't another fangirl. For once I wish she was. I don't believe it. Actually, I do, but I wish I didn't. And her teeth—those weren't teeth. Those were friggin fangs. _Real_ fangs, _he thought dazedly, _or maybe it's just my imagination working overtime. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and find out this was all a pathetic dream._

_But what about the girl in the tournament? Ky? She had fangs. Not teeth. _Fangs.

Kai got that sinking feeling that comes when one realizes that it's not possible to argue with emotions. He turned his focus inward and willed his mind to believe himself.

_Kai,_ he told himself sternly, _there is no such thing as vampires. They. Are. Myths._

And yet, even though his mind was obsessively denying it—deep down inside he knew his was wrong. She wasn't albino. He'd stumbled across a vampire. And there was nothing he could possibly do about it.

* * *

Kai walked back to the dojo in shock. He followed the familiar streets without thinking about it, leaving his mind to wonder what happened back there, if indeed it had ever happened at all. He told himself that he shouldn't be worried about something so trivial, but emotions don't listen to mere words the mind tells them. He told himself he wasn't supposed to have emotions at all, but his brain had no answer to that. It didn't need one; what he felt was answer enough.

By the time he arrived at Tyson's place, all the lights had long since been extinguished and the building was silent. The gate was locked, so Kai climbed a tree and vaulted over the wall. Moonlight illuminated the garden, but there was something amiss in it.

In a moment his sharp senses had pinpointed the source of the potential trouble. However, he relaxed as soon as he saw the black and white robes Rei always wore. The other boy was sitting on the edge of the fish pond, swirling a finger in the cold water and disrupting the placid surface. Kai approached Rei slowly, and in complete silence.

Or so he thought.

"Hey Kai," the black-haired teen said quietly to the new arrival.

"Hn," Kai grunted in his usual reply.

"My, my, aren't you in a good mood tonight. Something's on your mind. Care to tell me, or is it something reserved only for the team captain, _again?_" Rei asked with a hint of edge to his voice.

Kai sighed. He hated how Rei could read every nuance of thought his body betrayed. He made a quick decision to tell Rei what happened. As he explained as best he could, Kai reevaluated the other teen's maturity. It seems he had been wrong in grouping him with Max and Tyson. Surprisingly enough, Rei seemed to take everything in stride. It took a few seconds for Kai to realize why. Rei had fangs too—along with all the White Tigers—just not all the time. It made it all the more obvious that there was more than one race of mankind out there.

"I…think she _is_ a vampire, Kai," Rei said at last, not making him feel any better, "Or at least something like one. And you've already figured out that she was spying for stats to get an edge in that tournament. So…what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," he answered truthfully, "It's just that—I got nervous. I didn't know how long she'd been there before I noticed. She's…different. In more ways than just the one, and for some weird reason I have this pull to find out more. Something just intrigues me, and I haven't the least clue as to what it is."

"Then why don't you go and find her? How many people of that description can there be in a city? And how many of them have the same name as you? At least, it's said the same, but I think the spelling may be different. We don't have much to do tomorrow; want me to come with you?"

"No," Kai replied forcefully.

Rei rolled his eyes at his captain's stubborn and ultimately stupid decision. Oh, Kai was a great blader, a great leader, sometimes a good friend (when he wasn't around Kenny, Max, and Tyson), and a good person in general, he tended to be…pigheaded. Therefore, he didn't deserve to hear who Max had found today until he lightened up a bit. Kai's problem, not his.

Kai sat on the stone thinking disconnected thoughts about the night. If there was anything he loved, it was a challenge, and that was definitely what this was. He couldn't figure out what he was being challenged _to,_ but the fact remained that he had to compete. It was in his nature. He'd gotten the feeling that she had been testing him for something, something that was probably a game piece on that challenge board. And for some strange reason, he didn't mind if she were a vampire. In fact, he kind of felt a…kinship to her. Like something inside him was pulling toward that very abnormality she radiated. It was disconcerting to someone who, up until a few months ago, hadn't experienced feelings at all. So he put it out of his mind.

The silence grew long and boring, until Kai finally stood up and walked into the dojo. He unrolled the narrow sleeping pallet Tyson's grandfather had provided for him on the wooden floor. He lay down, having a hard time finding a comfortable position but quite unwilling to let any of the others know about his obsession with the way he slept. It was a good ten minutes before he was situated. Then there was only thought. His overfull, tired mind drifted from thoughts, to feelings….to oblivion.

* * *

The next thing he knew, he'd come to all at once and the sun was just beginning to rise. False dawn was providing enough light for him to see by as he stood up quickly and quietly. He didn't know what had woken him, but his reflexes were never on high alert for nothing. Of course, just because there was something out there didn't mean it had to be something bad. Seeing nothing in the immediate vicinity, he rolled up his sleeping gear and placed it back on the ledge where it came from. If anything out there was wanting a piece of him, it would have to come in and get him. If not, it wasn't important. He changed clothes, into baggy black pants and a black and red silk shirt, and headed out the door in three minutes flat.

On his way toward the gate, Kai noticed Rei by the pool. Evidently he'd fallen asleep where he'd been laying the night before and he was snoring softly. One of the larger koi was attempting to eat the end of Rei's ponytail. Kai snickered at his friend as he passed out the gate and into the streets.

The first thing he met was a group of three—armed no less—police officers waiting outside the dojo entrance. He stopped under the archway and looked from side to side in puzzlement. They approached him amiably enough, and he stood his ground. In a period of time so short Kai didn't even have time to react, he was seized by two of the officers while the third pulled out a pair of shiny handcuffs and proceeded to cuff his hands behind his back. Kai protested this treatment rather loudly and found himself with a hand over his mouth. When he wouldn't be quiet and the officers were loathe to wake the rest of the compound, he was silenced with a gag. It tasted as if it were someone's sock. They should've at least washed it first. He struggled, but one boy was no match for two grown men, especially since he couldn't move his hands.

"Kai Hiwatari?" the one who had cuffed him asked.

He nodded warily, unsure of the reason for his detainment and not really wanting to know.

"You are under arrest for the suspicion of murder. The victim, as you may know, is a girl named Mariah Tao, a visiting member of the White Tigers beyblade team and one of your more…public enemies. We have witnesses saying that you were in the park in which she was murdered last night when she was killed. You will be held in the local jail with the other suspects to be questioned. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney; if you cannot afford one," the officer looked him up and down and sneered, "One will be provided for you."

Kai peered at the ground critically and scratched out a few words into the dirt with his foot. _Rite 2 remain silent? How the hell can I talk, bastard?_ He scribbled it out when the man was done reading and wrote, _Inocent until proven guilty._

"Kid, if you mouth off to me, _I'll_ be the one to interrogate you. In a locked room with no one to see."

Kai's mind slipped into its previous state of shock at these words. He still hadn't grasped the fact that he was under arrest for a murder he didn't even know had occurred. Not that the death of the pink-obsessed female bothered him _that_ much; on the contrary, it was a good thing for most of the world. Still, someone had died and someone had to pay. And what bothered him the most was that he was a suspect and he was being bodily dragged into a police car.

It was uncomfortable. The seats were crammed up against each other and he had no leg room. The smell of vomit filled the vehicle and Kai wondered how the driver could stand to be in it for more than a few minutes. Padding on the seats was damn near nonexistent. His hands were still behind his back, nearly popping his shoulders out of their sockets. That was the first thing Kai righted. He slid his legs up to his body and wiggled until his hands passed over his feet and in front of him. Much more comfortable. He could feel Dranzer's pull from the front seat, where the beyblade was sitting in the passenger side, along with various other items that had been confiscated when he'd been patted down. They mostly consisted of his blade, two small pocketknives, some gum, and a piece of string.

When he actually arrived after that painful car ride, he was pulled roughly through the doors, down some hallways, through another door, down another hallway, and into a cell block. The letter on the front said 'D' so he assumed it was block D. Shortly thereafter, he was shoved rather unceremoniously into a cell. He stumbled across the threshold, banging his head against the far wall and slumped to the floor groaning. It was a holding cell, larger than most and only meant to be occupied for twenty-four hours or less. You weren't _really_ in jail if you were in there. You _might_ be going to jail. There were no beds. If you wanted to sleep, you slept on the floor. It also contained other captives. After Kai's head recovered from it's meeting with Mr. Wall and his mind cleared slightly, he regained enough of his wits to absorb his surroundings.

And to his complete surprise, he knew _both_ his cellmates.

One was, of course, Ky, who smirked ferally at him. She—now disguised as a he—was much easier to see in the fluorescent light. White hair, white skin, red eyes, and clothed completely in contrasting black. But the other…Kai had known him for longer, much longer. He couldn't believe his eyes; this teen was supposed to be quite dead. It was obvious he wasn't, because standing not two feet away from him was…

Tala Ivanov.

That was when Kai's brain cranked into action. He leapt to his feet, glaring daggers at the red-haired teen as well as the pale…boy. Tala glared right back, as was only proper etiquette. He received a blank gaze from Kylvren, who was somehow managing to radiate her amusement to all of them.

"Long time no see…traitor," Tala said coldly, but those icy blue eyes were far colder.

There was no way out of the cell, no place to go. Kai backed against the wall, his nightmares come to life.

* * *

Okay, this is where I leave you. I'd appreciate reviews, even if they're just one word...Feedback is kind of what fuels me. Be back soon, i already have more chaps done, so they'll be up soon.

Tala Kismet, signing off.


	3. Give Me Wings, O Oracle of Mine

Hey again. Yea, AAZ, I know it was a "repeat." I had to break up the chapters because with 4 hours of homework a night so far, I can't type as much, so I split the chapters in half. Here ya go buddy.

CHAPTER TWO: GIVE ME WINGS, O ORACLE OF MINE

"At least we won't need air conditioning," Ky commented dryly.

"Why the hell are you here?" Kai asked stupidly.

"Let's think, Sherlock. Because a girl was murdered—not that that's a bad thing, mind, considering who it was—ans someone saw us all in the park where she was killed," Tala replied venomously.

"No shit, Watson," Kai retorted, regaining a few more of his wits, "I meant why are _you_ here? I thought we wiped out you scumbags."

"Obviously not because I'm standing here in front of you. And you were on our team for a majority of the time, so you can't talk. Oh, and if you call me a scumbag again, I'll throttle you with my bare hands," Tala growled.

"Scumbag," Kai said in a taunting voice.

Ky was now leaning against the back wall with a slight grin on her face. Watching these two was as good as any dinner show, and better, they were providing the fireworks without any provocation from her. At the moment, Tala was desperately trying to keep himself from becoming a real murderer. His face was nearly as red as his hair and he appeared more like a rabid animal than anything human. Kai was smirking like the devil at his "friend's" struggle, daring the redhead to do his worst. Both were so caught up with each other that they'd forgotten Ky's existence entirely.

She was just fine with that, because it was only a matter of time until at least one of them realized that she was the killer. Not without reason, of course, but the fact still remained. As far as Ky was concerned, the longer they argued the more time she had to come up with a plausible excuse that wouldn't turn them against her and that they would accept. Or, even better, put them off the trail completely. Yes…that was perfect.

Tala finally managed to calm himself down enough to merely glare at Kai, who crossed his arms over his chest and muttered to himself in a voice easily loud enough for Tala to hear.

"Scumbag."

Tala clenched his fist and was swinging it back to slug Kai when Kylvren intervened. She stepped forward and snatched his fist in a rock hard grip, grabbing a handful of hair for good measure. All was completed in one fluid motion. Meanwhile she addressed Kai in the same deadly tone he'd used on her the night before.

"Kai, if you do that again, I will be forced to give you the same treatment I'm giving Wolfboy here, and I will tie you both to the walls. We can't afford to antagonize each other when we should really be planning how to get out of here," she said, letting Tala go, "If any one of you have even the _least_ ideas of a plan, voice it now."

"Why should we have to get out? _I'm_ not guilty and there's no evidence saying I am, so why do we have to? They'll just hold us for a day and let us go until something's proven," Kai said, "Would this be a…subtle…reference to your good sense of self preservation?"

"Yes, bastard, it would be. At least Red here doesn't act like a total idiot—"

"…which is merely disguising his true nature…"

"—like you. I suppose it'll never change—"

"…damn right…"

"But we have to get out of here before they do health exams and question us. Personally, I don't feel like being interrogated by those sorry sadistic excuses for officers," Kylvren finished.

Kai remembered the conversation he'd had earlier and shivered. Tala blanched; apparently he'd gotten the same talk. Kylvren looked paler than usual, something Kai wouldn't have thought possible. Looking at the circumstances, they were in a bit of shit. Still, there _was _a justice system.

"Oooookaaayyy…so now we know why we don't want to stay. But think about it, we're juviniles. What can they do?" Tala asked shakily.

"Oh, yes, they'll treat us like guests," Ky snarled sarcastically, "Do you realize what shit we're in? We are under arrest for the murder of a fucking _celebrity_. Meaning _publicity_. And no offense, you two, but both of you have reputations for being—um—shall we say emotionless killing machines. As for me, I'm not the most straight line person around. Face the music people, we all have our little…secrets…we can't afford to have exposed."

"…I forgot about that," Tala muttered, "Shit. Kai, if they look bac through the BioVolt records, well, look through them since they still haven't gotten around to it yet, we're toast. Burnt, carbonized toast."

"Fact still remains that we're minors," Kai argued, "Worst they can do is a few years in juvie hall."

"Listen, Kai," Tala said seriously, "You're almost seventeen, I'm near eighteen. Trials can—and usually are—prolonged for a year or more. You know what that means? No more hiding behind juvie age. A scene like this, innocent or not, our careers are over. Done. El Fin. Publicity, media, they blow it all out of proportion. And what else are we good for that we can make a living off of?"

_Dammit, Tala's right,_ Kai thought, _we can't afford people questioning our integrity anymore. We can't afford being labeled murderers. And we damn well can't afford to have our BioVolt records checked. Wait…_

"And what about you?" Kai asked Kylvren suddenly.

He turned his discomfiting gaze on her. She jumped and an expression of surprise flickered across her countenance.

"Me? What about me?"

"You. How old are you? What have you done wrong?"

"Me?" she laughed tiredly, "I'm ancient."

The former D-boys waited, waited for some type of clarification, a meaning to what she'd said. She didn't offer anything up. The silence stretched from merely uncomfortable to strainingly tense. At last she spoke, staring off into space. Or possibly at something none of the rest of them could see, just like cats.

"What did I do? Haha," again the tired laugh that made her seem as ancient as she'd said, "It's more like what haven't I done?"

The slate and red-haired boys exchanged glances. Enemies they may have been, but they knew how to work together when there was a situation on hand. And this was just too weird to act alone.

"Another thing, why the hell are you diguised as a guy?" Kai demanded.

"Needed to be put in a cell with you two. Otherwise I would've been sent to another wing. Gotta have a crew for an escape plan."

"Ah."

Well, that made sense. Sort of. Only…how did she manage to pass as a male when they frisked her? It was worth asking. Only not now. And it would be…interesting to find out what happened when the guards finally came to give them their uniforms or whatever. And that wasn't even going into _showertime_…

Again there was silence. Meditation on what their fates might be. There was no evidence of the kiler on the body. It would be purely circumstantial evidence that would make or break them. Ky had managed that much, but there was a problem. These two weren't supposed to have been seen there. Speaking of which…

"Who saw us?" Kylvren asked out of the blue.

Tala and Kai jumped. They looked at her, shrugging their shoulders. It figured. Why would they know anyway? If you don't have anything worthwhile to say, don't say anything.

"Dammit. There was someone else there and they were there for a reason. Why did they turn us in and why isn't their sneaky ass in here with us in this fucking jail cell? Why are we here and he—or possibly she—just chillin' on the fucking streets? Strike you as odd?"

The two boys locked eyes, but it was easy to see that neither of them had a clue. So it was a fourth party deal. Not too bad. Just find out who turned them in and…

A door slammed, causing all three heads to snap up and around. Two guards, no; a guard and…the warden? Not. Good.

"You three, what do you know about the murder last night?" the Warden asked.

"…It happened…apparently…"

"What else?"

"…"

"We found another body. Lee. Same team."

The trio's eyes widened. Complete silence. The warden looked from Kai to Tala to Kylvren. Nothing but honest surprise and shock registered on those young faces. Hell, they were just kids, and no one was _that_ good an actor. Something was odd about this case…

When no answer was forthcoming, the two officers left. The cell regained its eerie, deafening silence and held it long after they'd gone.

"Who do you think killed them?" Tala asked at last.

Ky stiffened. She looked from side to side, scanning the walls for a camera, microphone, any type of bug. Nothing. She made a quick revision of plans.

"The second one…I have no idea. The first…"

Tala and Kai gave her quizzical looks. She trailed off and looked away, not wanting to meet their eyes.

"It fucking figures!" Kai growled, "Tell me. Why?"

"Orders," she said shortly.

The boys nodded. They understood Orders. It was something they could relate to. You didn't disobey Orders. Fine.

Just a few last mysteries then.

"From whom?"

"Sergei Kuvetskenov."

The look the two boys shared was one that said _damn, Russia again._ Well, it all added up. Russia _was_ where most of the world's raw power was, where most of the bitbeasts originated, and where most of the active gods resided. Where better to begin a regime?

"Situation understood," Tala said quietly, "So we do need to get out of here. Three foreign changlings in for the murder of a celebrity? We're done as soon as they do any health exams. Medical institutes, here we come."

Kylvren nodded. Kai looked from Tala to Kylvren and back again. His forehead was creased and he practically radiated puzzlement. Kylvren looked at Tala sharply. He shugged nonchalantly. Ky backed Tala up against the wall and jabbed a finger into his chest. Angry red eyes drew crystal blue ones so he couldn't look away.

"You never told him!"

"I was supposed to?" Tala spat back, "He should've figured it out for himself!"

"You were like his _brother!_ What kind of friend _were_ you?"

"As good of one as I could be in the circumstances!"

Kylvren sighed and turned to the now even more puzzled Kai. She collapsed on the single bench and sat with her hands between her knees. Her eyes searched his, finding nothing but bewilderment, shock, and a hint of…was it fear? At least he wasn't past feeling emotions. She sighed again, unsure of how to explain things in a way that he would understand and believe. Before she began, she shot a death glare at Tala, who grimaced.

"Kai, _Tala_ here never told you. You're a shapechanger. A…well, the word humans would use is demon, but that isn't it. You know Dranzer? He's why you're a changeling. Some bitbeasts…they're special. Dranzer is Fire. You were chosen by Dranzer because you're a channel for his power. It's genetic, either a mutation, like yourself, or bred in, like Rei, or…caused by some outside source, like me. You're an avian, Kai."

Slowly, ever so slowly it sunk in. She wasn't joking. He didn't need proof, he already knew what she and Rei were, and they were living evidence in themselves. His crimson eyes lit up with wonder, like he was a child again. He looked to Tala for confirmation. Tala grinned sheepishly. Or as much as a wolf in sheeps' clothing could.

"And what are you two? What exactly is an avian? How did you become a…changeling, Ky?" Kai asked curiously, his mind afire with questions.

"Me, haha, that should be obvious. I'm a werewolf, or what equates to one anyway. Essentially, I can change into a wolf, talk to any canines, lupines, vulpines, etc, and make them do what I want. Oh, and I have the senses. Nifty, eh?" Tala replied jovially.

"Vampire. Got bitten. Usual story. However, to offset the disdvantages of the Noble Dead, I can change into a wolf, a rat—which I only did once and do not plan to repeat—and a panther. And grow wings, though surprisingly enough I can't do a bat. At least, those are the shapes I've figured out. If they're stupid enough I can make people see or hear something other than reality. Comes in handy. You, you're an avian, meaning you can fly, become a bird, talk to all the little birdies, and you're a firestarter. Probably other things you can do too, you just have to figure them out."

"What exactly is one meant to say in a position like this?" Kai asked bemusedly.

"How about, you've given me wings?" Tala suggested mockingly.

"Too corny."

"I can fly!" Kylvren mimed a little kid playing fairy.

"Playtime's over," Kai said seriously. A door slammed.

Three guards with handcuffs stepped into the cell. The prisoners were told to face the wall and put their hands behind their backs. All three obeyed wordlessly and in two minutes they were being led out the door after another quick search for weaponry.

_How dumb are they? If I had any weapons, wouldn't I have used them already when we were left unguarded and unobserved? Idiots,_ Tala thought.

Each was led into their own small room where there was a bench and an orange uniform laid out on it. They changed silently, the jeering eyes of the guards boring into the tops of their heads. The captives seethed; those eyes were calculating exactly how much they could do until something happened to bust them. Nobody made a move; not yet at least. Even Ky's "escort" didn't notice anything…abnormal. No questions…yet, but by the looks they were receiving, it wouldn't be fun when the time came.

That assumed they were still there.

Once again they were handcuffed and led into…a different cell block. Tala grew indignant. He turned angry eyes gone somehow clear to the guard behind him.

"Why another cell? We're _suspects_. You can't hold us on nothing! What gives man?"

"You're being held under charges of being out past curfew and destruction of public property."

"What now? What was destroyed? Enlighten me, by all means. And you were required to tell us of the charges earlier," Tala practically snarled back.

"Several bushes, a bench, and a section of, quote, decorative fencing. Why would you go and vandalize _decorative fencing_? Couldn't you have found something a little more manly?"

"Well, since he didn't do it, he wouldn't know," Kai commented, "So, how destroyed were these bushes? I mean, if the bushes were the ones I was trimming last night, they weren't destroyed, they were cut into neat little cell-like boxes."

"So you say, but the evidence never lies and it tells us otherwise."

"Fascinating, because I can show you the ones _I_ trimmed."

"Not while you're in here you can't."

"But we have certain rights you have to give us…" Tala said.

"Newsflash. You're minors. Minors don't get rights."

"Well this sucks."

* * *

Okay, end of part one chapter two. Bear with me, this was kind of an explanatory/intro chapter. It had to be done, and there is (thankfully) more action for next update.

Tala Kismet, signing off.


	4. GMW cont

"Well this sucks," Kai muttered to himself.

"At least we can see each other," Tala said depressedly.

"Oh, that's great. Why don't we just yell across the hallway all day? And you and Sasquatch over there can discuss the finer points of knitting. This. Really. Bites."

Kai hung his head. Sure, he and Tala had been at each other's throats when they'd had their "reunion," but the years they'd spent in the abbey as fast friends couldn't just be forgotten. Come to think of it, they really had no reason to be angry at each other in the first place. And when it came right down to it, it'd been far too long since they'd seen each other. And now they had. For half an hour. _Well,_ Kai thought as he wrapped his arms around the painted white bars, _at least we can see each other. He could be all the way down the hall, though that wouldn't make a whole lot of difference in the current situation. Dammit. Why do these things always have to happen to me?_

Tala looked over his shoulder at his cellmate. The man wasn't the hulking, muscle-bound brute seen in every prison movie ever created (not to mention every _prison_ ever created). No, the man was lean, wiry, and on the midget end of average height. Tala stood a good five or six inches above him, and that was being generous. He was nearly as pale as Tala himself, with that sallow tinge to his skin that marked him as eastern european. But it was plain to see Sasquatch wasn't one you messed with. He may have suffered Napolean complex, but then again, so did Napolean and you didn't mess with him either. There wasn't an ounce of fat on that wiry body. Everything about him screamed street fighter. What a wonderful person to have as a roomate. At least there wasn't too much of an age difference. He couldn't be more than twenty.

Sasquatch growled menacingly, probably hoping to frighten his new, younger companion. Tala looked into the muddy brown depths of his eyes, noted the definite mobster glint, and narrowed his own hypnotizing blue eyes. He bared fangs and growled lower, threateningly. The ensuing staredown was tense, and predictably, neither would look away. In the end it was Sasquatch who broke it up by snorting and eyeing Tala contemptuously.

"Cocky little bugger, ain't you?" he said, excercising a bad case of elevator eyes, "And what gives you the right to that arrogance, _little boy?_ What's yer name, _Prince Arrogance_?"

Tala raised an eyebrow, putting on a slightly haughty face. He looked down his nose at the run-of-the-mill criminal in front of him.

"I see no prince, serf. I am a King."

Ky snickered and Tala shot her a death glare. Kai was attempting to hold in his laughter, loathe to let any of the others know he had a sense of humor. His shoulders shook in silent mirth, though to his credit, he did have a superior poker face. Tala bestowed withering looks upon the two of them, then rolled his eyes. He leaned back against the wall in an uncanny impression of Kai, gazing cooly at Sasquatch.

"The name's Tala. Yours?"

"Jamal. Jamal Riezkoff. And you're…Ivanov, no?" Tala's forehead creased, as if he were trying desperately to figure something out, "I figured. Hate to break it to ya, but yer famous. Course I would know yer name. Ya should be used ta it."

Tala's expression grew detached and he waved his hand dismissively, "No, no, I know I'm famous, whatever. I'm used to it," he said distractedly, then turned back to his cellmate, "Your name's _Jamal?_ What kind of white boy's name is _Jamal?_"

"You got a problem with it?"

"No, I'm just wondering."

There was a tense silence. Tala leapt onto his bunk and curled up in a bal. To all appearances, he went to sleep. Jamal sighed and shook his head with bemusement. This little kid was certainly something else. He hadn't met anyone willing to face him down in quite a while. Jamal liked that kind of spark in a kid. It promised something bigger one day. Then again, maybe the kid was already doing something bigger, he didn't know for sure. He sighed again, looked around, grew bored, and began doing—

* * *

--_Pushups. How cliched,_ Kai thought, _And to think, he's not even one of the over-muscled thugs. Maybe they rubbed off on him. And _why_is Tala pretending to sleep? I mean, what purpose does it serve? Maybe no one else can tell he isn't, but I know him a little too well. There are some things I may never understand._

"Why is your redheaded friend pretending to sleep?" Kylvren asked.

"Search me."

Ky shook her head slowly. She vaulted onto the top bunk, earning a respectful glance from Kai. She lay catlike on top, hands over the side, in a position very like a panther in a tree. Appraisingly she stared down at Kai and he found himself wondering if he measured up to whatever standards she was judging him against.

_It seems like ever since I've met her I've had more self-doubt than ever before,_ the slate-haired teen thought wryly, _Like suddenly I'm an amateur all over again and she's the reigning champ. What's wrong with this? It's like I've been missing out on a whole different world. Even _Tala_ didn't let me in on it._

_Speaking of which, there are demons? I know Voltaire created cyborgs—well Tala proves that right enough—but actual changelings? And _I'm_ one of them? How many of us are there? Why didn't I know before? And how did Tala find out anyway? It was _bred_ in? How?_

"I can just see the questions zooming around your little head," Ky commented, "Tell me, what are you thinking?"

"There—there are more of us everywhere? How have I never heard of anything like that? I mean, _something_ would've come up, wouldn't it?"

She treated him with one of those are-you-as-stupid-as-you're-making-yourself-seem looks. He continued to exude curiosity, so she figured he hadn't taken the hint, or hadn't gotten it. More than likely the former though.

"Are you really as stupid as you seem? What do you think, we just," she made wild motions in the air with her hands, "everywhere? Hell no. Look, so the government says there's no slavery. There is. Try looking at government files, especially in the U.S. The government knows there's a mafia, they just can't seem to find it, and when they do, they can't prove it. Fly below the radar. Not to mention, it's not like we're _everywhere_. How many people have bitbeasts? And of them, only a tenth have the ability to become a changeling. Not all of them do. You might not have ever known if we hadn't told you."

It clicked. Come to think of it, everything she'd said was just so obvious. But that still didn't explain why he'd been left in the dark about this whole world, and that there was something…different about him. Everyone else seemed to know without being told, so why didn't he? Kai had a vague feeling coursing through his system that he wasn't up to the mark in brilliance. That was new. The all-knowing Kai Hiwatari not bright enough? Surely not.

"But…why didn't I know about this before? I mean, you and Tala did…"

"Because you never had a reason to, dumbass. If you had, for instance, fallen off a cliff (not that there are many around here but hey, money can make anything happen) some primitive part of your brain would have given you wings. But, much as I hate to admit it, you're skilled enough that you generally keep yourself out of situations like that."

"Ah," was all he could say.

"And of course I knew. I was bitten by another vampire. Hard to miss something like that, you know. Of course, I could see how you could manage that. And naturally Tala knew. Did you ever wonder why there were so many wolves around the abbey? Or why he always snuck out? Or why he likes his steaks rare?"

"Hold on there. How do you know this shit?" Kai asked indignantly, "You were never there. There's no way you would have seen any of this. Been stalking me, freak?"

"As a matter of fact…no. I wouldn't waste my time. Those were just guesses. Amazing how I can bullshit my way through interrogations, eh?"

Well, now he was enlightened. It figured it would have to come from _her_ though. How the hell could she know everything? It just wasn't possible. Damn her.

He opened his mouth to speak again. She shushed him impatiently, motioning him to remain silent. Grudgingly he obeyed, wondering what the deal was. Footsteps, softly coming down the hall in their direction. Softly…too soft to be a guard. Kai sneered, thinking condescendingly of how everyone who worked here stomped down the concrete halls. This was too soft to even be a fellow prisoner. So who…?

Just a rather tall, shaggy man. He was vaguely unkempt, and moved with a smooth grace that marked him as a predatory character. Just the way he executed every movement, silently, smoothly, and with no extra anything spoke more to another professional hitman than anything else. Softly closer, a hundred feet, fifty, thirty, ten…he stopped.

His hand, dark tan and sinewy, reached into the pocket of his tweed coat, returning to the outside world with a small cloth-wrapped package. Cold blue eyes gazed around, catching Kylvren's, Kai's, Jamal's, Tala's. Tala uncurled, slid out of bed with a grace matching the dark-haired man. He stuck a hand out of the bars and caught the thrown bundle.

The man flashed fangs, tossed his uncut hair out of his face, and turned to Kai, crooking a finger for him to come forward. Cautiously the slate-haired boy appoached the bars. Those icy sapphire eyes, a few shades darker than Tala's but with the same crystalline look, watched him come, noting every nuance. Being scrutinized so completely made Kai a little unnerved.The manpointed a finger at the teen and spoke to him in an emotionless, flat voice.

"You, boy? Voltaire's boy, you are. You want a job, come to me. I need a pair of wings," he looked up, past Kai, "I'll warn you once though. Stay away from her. You need me, put one—and I mean one—drop of blood on this."

He thrust his hand toward Kai, who flinched away. The fingertips brushed his left arm and retreated. A burning sensation erupted over the spot, causing Kai to clutch his arm to his chest in pain. The man stepped back, raised a hand, snapped once, and…was gone.

_Errr…okay then,_ Kai thought, _I have absolutely no idea what the fuck that was all about…I think Tala and I need to have a little talk when we can…And what did he do to my arm? There's nothing on it, but it hurts like a mother…_

There was silence. It lasted for only a few moments after the guy left.

"Tala, was that guy good or evil?" Kylvren asked curiously.

"Depends on how you look at it, really."

"Oh, that's comforting. Who was he, by the way? And what did he give you? That, and how did he know you were here?"

"Tell you later. So, now we got a means, when do we bust outta here?"

"Yer plannin an escape?" Jamal asked in surprise.

"You won't be able to keep up Jamal," Tala responded rather coldly, "Sorry. Best we can offer you is a chance."

Jamal rubbed his hands together eagerly, "That's all I need. Whaddaya say?"

"You got yourself a deal."


End file.
